This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way back to the nail salon for another pedicure.

We batter our feet each day we head out on the trails or take to the asphalt in search of the runners high. So, why don’t we do a better job at taking care of our piggies?

The black toenail exists as a rite of passage amongst endurance athletes the world over. Runners gloriously post Instagram shots of their first black toenail as a badge of honor. UltraRunnerPodcast has a special section, the black toe bail hall of fame.  Toenails were such a pain in the ass to one Marshall Ulrich, so much so that he opted to have all of them surgically removed in 1992. Other hardcore runners have since jumped in and done the same.

With a bitch of an ingrown toenail on my right foot and an offer from Jen, I took my little piggies, jumped in the chair and received my first pedicure…a male pedicure.

Which, coincidentally is the same as a pedicure.

Go figure.

Guys, why the stigma against male pedicures? You know what is bad about a pedicure?

Nothing.

You set your feet in warm, soothing water, sit on a massage chair, cut the nails, file them down to make sure they are shaped to ‘awesome nail’ standards, put on some cleaning solution, back in water, pull them out for some scrubbing, a wondrous leg massage, boom.

Male pedicures are on the rise, according to my nail technician. Rightfully so. Sure, you may see a few curious glances by the ladies on hand, but the staff were more than happy to take care of my beaten down feet.

The pros of said experience at Beauty Nails and Wax?

1) Smooth, well groomed toenails. No more slamming against the front of my trail running shoes. Toes rejoice!
2) A pleasing leg massage. I ran 12 miles the morning of the pedicure. A massage was the best solution possible.
3) Clear nail polish which makes your nails look healthy. I asked which color would make me go faster and suggested a racing stripe. In the end, I opted for clear.

Cons

Nil.

Experiences of note which did not occur.

1) World ending/apocalypse.
2) Pink nail polish. You can go for no polish at all if you want.
3) Forfeiture of man card. If you thought this at all, go away. If you have said man card or hinted at the existence of one, go away.

Conclusion? I can’t believe it took me 28 years to do this. A pedicure is a simple pleasure, like sneaking out for a quick two mile run, or watching the vending machine put out two bags of skittles instead of one.

A male pedicure. An oxymoron to some, but to me it makes perfect sense.

Last Tuesday started off as any normal day in my life. I woke up, put in a nice run, did some writing and blog reading in the AM while sipping my cup of tea. All in all, it was shaping up to be a good day.

Around 2:30 pm my day became anything normal when after an impromptu meeting, I was restructured from my Digital Manager position at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

I don’t have much to say about the restructuring. I’m sad to leave behind an office and a job I loved to do everyday. I hope you enjoy the website I (along with many others) worked so hard to create for the membership. The NSCAA is a great organization. Go to Convention, get your coaching diplomas, reward your players with awards. Get involved!

As for me, life goes on. It always has, and it always will. I have had many incredible experiences in my 28 years on this planet and I do not plan on stopping now.

With that, I am looking to write the next chapter.

what does this mean?

I’m a free agent.

I am looking for a company where I can put my experience, energy and proven results towards projects that matter. 

I’m looking to do epic shit.

a quick rundown

resume: View my resume with all the bells and whistles here (.pdf) 

LinkedIn: Browse my LinkedIn profile and connect.

travel/relocation: I live in Kansas City, but I am open to relocation.

media: see what others have said about me and browse samples of my podcasts, presentations and writings

contact: Email: rjknapp19 [at] gmail.com | Twitter @ryanjknapp

about me

I’m a digital manager, content creator, social media and email marketer, website developer, project manager, paella master, entrepreneur, (ultra)marathon running enthusiast, Skittles snacker, fundraiser, keynote convention speaker, photographer, podcast creator, guest lecturer, soccer team owner, international traveler, sociolinguist and Spanish/English bilingual.

I come from a very diverse background, including.

• Teaching and managing an English school in Villacañas, Spain (pop. 10,000)
• Developed and managed first Player of the Game mobile voting system in United States for NSCAA College Game of the Week.  [see story +]
• Extensive research and analysis on language planning and policy, with a focus on Catalan, spoken in Cataluña, a province in northeast Spain.
• Owner and founder of three minor league soccer teams in Buffalo, N.Y. [check out FC Buffalo +]
• Youngest member of the National Premier Soccer League Executive Committee and first league PR Director.
• Keynote speaker at 2011 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Convention (IWLCC).
• Extensive 16-month long web and database redesign for NSCAA.com

Please contact me with any questions or ideas on how we can work together. I’m all ears.

Music monday rolls on with a playlist designed to give you wings!!!! (sorry Red Bull). Some of the songs were pulled from my favorite playlists and I’ve made sure to lead off with a classic Arcade Fire song, Keep the Car Running.

What are the top songs you are listening to this week? Add them to the comments and I’ll put them in next week’s music monday selections.

http://open.spotify.com/user/ryanjknapp/playlist/4Hrz4fEXyjz07aRWgAIOwJ

In order to listen to the playlist, you’ll need Spotify. It is a free service (with other premium features if you wish to upgrade.) Completely worth it! 

past music monday playlists

april 16, boston

Today, I’m a proud furkid father as I celebrate Ella Knapp’s fourth birthday. Ella’s time is spent sleeping late on the weekend, barking at anyone in her family who sneezes and sitting at the table during dinner.

Some of you may remember her from the worst day ever when she was spooked and ran away from us on the Plaza, hatching the “Find Ella” campaign and eventually, her safe return home.

When I moved to Kansas City in August 2010, trail running became a love of mine, much to Ella’s delight. She quickly reaped the benefits of being able to run off leash, bounding behind as her herding instincts pulled her in every direction, chasing down birds, squirrels, deer and other furry woodland creatures.

Taking to the trail with Ella has given me some of the fondest memories of running in Kansas City. Growing up, I did not have a dog and now I can’t imagine my life without one.

Her boundless energy, unwavering support and eternal loyalty gives me  happiness only a wet nose and a Sheltie spin could provide.

I’ve learned no matter what time it is when I lace my shoes up and get ready to head out the door, Ella thinks it is a perfect time for a run. She sits and watches me put my shoes on and waits for the slightest hint of me going for her running harness. She knows once I’ve got the harness, it’s time for her to head out on the open road.

It’s a privilege to run with Ella. When she is old and grey, I’ll take her for walks as long as she can maintain. But, that is for a later time because right now, she is full of energy and a passion for being outdoors.

Truth be told, I want to enjoy runs like Ella does. Each run for her is pure joy. Every time her paws hit the trail, her ears pick up, her tail is held high and she is on high alert. She’s back in her element, she’s on her turf.

Ella reminds me of the simple joy running brings. There’s no need to charge my Garmin, put on my HR monitor, or hook into any number of gadgets I carry with me on my training.

There’s always time to lace up and go.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

For the past two weeks, my hamstrings have been in a revolt. I have been in a constant battle to stretch and remain pain free, much to my chagrin. I’ve had problems with my right leg for a while now, but my left leg has decided to join in the fun.

This sucks.

Thanks to this setback, I’ve been focusing lately on swimming and cycling and re-upped my gym membership to 24 Hour Fitness. $30 a month for a pool that is always open that no one uses?

In 2010, I was strictly focused on triathlon training and spent a lot of time in the pool. I quickly learned swimming is different than cycling, running or any other endurance event for one simple reason.

Working hard does not equal going faster.

On a run, if you turn your legs over faster and work harder, you go faster. If you crank harder on a bike, you move faster.

If you try harder in the pool the more effort I exert, the more annoyed I becomes and so starts the downward spiral.

The act of swimming does not make me faster.

Well then genius, what does?

Deliberate practice and a focus on technique.

Cue Total Immersion

Since I started back in the pool, I’ve put a lot of time into learning and watching videos and DVD’s about Total Immersion [+]. The TI method of swimming is based on working less, becoming more streamlined and performing better based on sustainability.

I spent last Friday night taking a look at a talk from Terry Laughlin speaking at Multisport World Conference and Expo, 2009. As I was watching the YouTube videos, I began to take notes. Information is best shared, so I’m sharing my notes and what I learned from the various slides and comments.

Total immersion techniques take time to learn and master because they are different than normal techniques. As Jerry says in the video, nothing you see in the video I’ve been working extremely hard with focused effort on a lot of Terry’s points. The more focused and dedicated you make the training, the more you see results.

—-

Total Immersion Talk Notes, Multisport World Conference and Expo, 2009.

What will make you faster.

Resistive vs. Propulsive forces

Propulsive forces have a cost, but generally resistiance forces do not have a cost. (working harder vs. being more streamlined)

Sustainability not velocity (saving energy)

Being able to maintain the same output over the set distance.

Can you sustain the pace when others are decelerating?

Why work Less?

In Water, we improve by shaping the vessel.

–Shaping the vessel means becoming more aerodynamic, therefore producing less drag and moving through the water more easily.

metabolic, motor and mental endurance

metabolic – fitness level

motor – imprinting the body to perform the same activity over and over. Being able to execute the same stroke thought over and over (stroke 1 vs. stroke 25,000)

mental – being able to mentally picture and focus on each stroke in the water.

What working less looks like.

Cooperate with gravity

Take the path of least resistance

Legs draft behind (don’t kick) your torso

Arms part (don’t push) water.

–Separating water molecules in front and not worrying about pushing behind

Swim with your body (weight shifts) not pulling and kicking

Picking a particular place in the water and driving your hand there.

Identifying muscles that are activating and relaxing and deactivating them to save energy.

Propulsion is from arms and legs to work together through the core. Driving left foot, right hip together to push right arm/hand to the spot. (keeps lactate production low = less energy expended)

Activities: Superman’s Glide – arms on wide tracks, head hangs between shoulders, legs draft.

Rotation: Just enough to clear one shoulder, too much creates lateral instability (like walking a tight rope).

The most important muscles in swimming are not those you can see. Midline stabilizers.

You become a good swimmer by thinking about how to get from the start to the finish in the best way, not getting from one side to another

Extend bodyline, lengthening into streamline position.

Consciously relax the hands, forearms, helps you go into the water cleanly.

Take the time to make it a habit.

I was watching a YouTube clip of Terry Laughlin speaking at Multisport World Conference and Expo, 2009, where he was discussing the principles behind Total Immersion, a swimming technique focusing on minimizing resistance and improving swimming efficiency.

During his hour long talk, Terry told a quick, 20 second story which was lost in the entire talk, but struck a chord with me. (Listen to Terry tell the story. Note: Terry mentions the 1996 Olympics, but Greene won gold in 2000)

In the 2000 Olympics, Maurice Greene won the Gold Medal in the 100 meter dash . His coach, John Smith had a very specific pre-Olympic training focus  – a strategy that would help him outlast the competition based on one piece of data.

Smith determined the top runners in the 100 meter dash would begin to slow down after 65 meters.

So, what is the gold medal secret?

Smith’s training focused on preparing Green to run a race in which he would begin to decelerate at 70 meters or later. Green’s training pushed him to maintain his acceleration until the 70 meter mark while his competition began to slow down.

Greene simply moved the wall. 

I’ve learned every endurance event has a wall, the point in the race where you begin to decelerate and fail to keep the same pace and effort as you had previously. From 100 meters to the 100 mile, each race has a breaking point, even for the elites.

Not every wall is an epic collapse, although they can be spectacular. A wall could be a 5 second/mi drop off in a cross country meet, making the difference between first and fourth place.

If we are aware of the wall and we embrace it’s inevitability, we can now take on the solution of moving it like Greene and Smith did to prepare for the Olympics.

If we as athletes can learn to move that wall and slightly outlast the competition, it could be the difference between making a PR and just missing out.

The little story made me think a lot about training. I’ve looked some of my training runs or race data and find the time when I start to fade. I’m making it a goal of pushing it out further and further, past my rival, past the invisible person running next to me, pacing me for that a PR or a Boston Qualifying time.

I’ll work on the mental aspect just the same. I know in October when I’m coming up to Mile 22.5 of the Kansas City Marathon, my mind will warp back to 2011 and my epic collapse. When I start to get the dead legs, the raised HR and the heavy breathing, I’ll loosen up my shoulders and take a deep breath, pick up that wall and move it.

Where can you move the wall in your training?

This week’s Music Monday is dedicated to the tens of thousands of runners who will toe the line in the 116th Boston Marathon. I made it a point to include some Boston-based bands, including my favorites, Guster and Dispatch and an ode to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, whose CD I bought and consequently only listened to “The Impression That I Get”

Have suggestions for future music monday playlists? Leave them in the comments or tweet at @ryanjknapp.

http://open.spotify.com/user/ryanjknapp/playlist/2MkyljVkmmNezggCzqr0fE

In order to listen to the playlist, you’ll need Spotify. If you don’t have spotify, you are missing out! 

There are some very creative video ads coming out nowadays surrounding the sport of running. More and more, companies realize video is the way to go in not only showing off their brand, but presenting the sport in fun and creative ways.

Nike Running celebrated the lengths people will go to see each other in their short, “I Would Run To You.”

The premise: a girl and a guy on different coasts (San Francisco and New York) taking the phrase “I Would Run To You” a bit too close to heart. The girl runs in Nike gear, including the Nike Free + 3 and runs effortlessly, while her boyfriend…well…is a bit worse for wear.

Here’s the official verbage from NIKE, Inc.

Love makes people do crazy things–like run across the country. And sing while they’re doing it.

Premiering globally on April 4, the latest Nike Free spot, titled “I Would Run To You,” is a story of how running reunites a long distance couple, thanks to the help of the Nike Free Run+ 3.

“I Would Run to You” features a sometimes comical couple separated by a continent — she lives in California, he lives in New York — who decide to run to see the other. Along the way, cameos appear from model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and skateboarder Theotis Beasley.

The short film was inspired by the idea that a strong runner can sing while running. The spot kicks off a social media campaign that will challenge runners to test their strength by singing to a special “Nike Free Running Karaoke” mix that debuts next week. It features the original song “I Would Run to You,” which can be downloaded by using the Shazam app on the film.

Lauren Johnson (@NYDNrunning) from Running Dialogue (NY Daily News) had a little more to say on the film and wondered what the real message was behind the ad.

Flattop Mountain’s 12,324′ summit is more aptly described as an expansive alpine tundra bench along the Continental Divide. From its lofty perch you’ll enjoy 360 views of the Park’s most formidable and distinguishable peaks and mountain ranges. Despite a strenuous climb through high elevations, a well marked and maintained trail makes Flattop Mountain a popular and accessible destination for adequately prepared and fit hikers. From ProTrails description

15.29 miles (but total 16.5 roughly)

4 hours, 41 minutes.

3,487 feet of vertical elevation gain over the first 4.2 miles as my chicken legs carried me up to 12,324 feet and into the heavens of Rocky Mountain National Park. Instead of coming to a sign and an incredible view, I came upon a group of accomplished trail runners, clapping and yelling for me, after I made the hardest climb of my life – something that one and a half years ago would never have crossed my mind.

The climb and celebration was just the beginning, as what goes up, must come down. We ran across rocky terrain, through snow fields still feet deep, and took on single track downhills with 200 feet sheer drops off the side. With every few miles came the same result: the front of the pack would stop and make sure the back of the pack were okay and accounted for.

“Yep, everyone here? Jeff? Ryan? Ernie? Okay, let’s go”

And the group was off to attack the rest of the trail. We brought down a few things from the trail, mainly mud, twisted ankles and cuts and bruises, all which will be healed in a few days but were well worth the views along the way.

One day, I will need this run when heading south on the Trolley Trail in Kansas City.  I’ll need to get my miles in but my mind will be fighting against me, telling me I should have stayed home or my legs are gassed and it’s time to give in and turn around.

When that happens, I’ll pull the memories of today’s run to the front. I’ll remember the handshakes from strangers who became friends on the trail. I’ll remember what speechless truly is as I looked out over the Continental Divide from 12,250 feet. I’ll remember the pop-pop-pop of Jeff’s form as he guided his bruised ankles down the descent, being ever so careful to stay injury free, but enjoy the entire experience. I’ll remember as women and men double my age made me feel as I was standing still as they flew up and down the mountain, unfazed by oxygen debt or any number of elements, sent to attack and throw us to the ground.

Most of all, I’ll remember exiting the trail, sitting on a rock thinking how good it felt to finally have a rest…
and how grateful I was for the experience.

Thank you to Terry, John, Jeff and the rest of the trail running group who made me feel like a regular, 1,000 miles away from home.

The 2012 Mrs. Robinson’s Romp 5k/10k in Kansas City. Great weather, great runners, great time. We were on hand to take in the sights and sounds of this fun trail run and filmed the first on-site race recap for mi2goTV.

As is customary in all Trail Nerds races, dogs are given bib numbers and allowed to run as one with their owners. There was a nice mix of seasoned trail vets and new trail runners who took on the 5k/10k distance. A fantastic time was had by all.

We also shot a ton of photos at the event as well. Feel free to download and use. Click here to see pictures [+]

Enjoy!

Now, go out and run!